Uranium news from Saskatchewan and elsewhere for June 29 to July 5, 2013

A conductive trend hosting the Patterson Lake South discovery extends into Forum Uranium’s TSXV:FDC adjacent Clearwater property, the company announced July 3. Preliminary results from an electromagnetic and magnetic survey link the trend with the high-grade, near-surface uranium found by Alpha Minerals TSXV:AMW and Fission Uranium TSXV:FCU over the last several months.

Core trays hold Patterson Lake South samples with off-scale gamma ray readings over 9,999 counts per second. Fission and Alpha have now announced details of their $6.95-million PLS campaign.

Clearwater sits adjacent to the southwest of Patterson Lake South and also borders properties that would form part of the Western Athabasca Syndicate. Under a memorandum of understanding announced June 24, Skyharbour and Athabasca Nuclear TSXV:ASC plan to combine their Athabasca Basin properties into a single 287,130-hectare package. The two companies, plus Lucky Strike Resources TSXV:LKY and Noka Resources TSXV:NX, would then fund $6 million of exploration over two years. Except for the 11,769-hectare Wheeler project on the Basin’s east side, the entire package lies within the PLS area.

As a result of its find, Forum increased the resolution of its airborne survey. The company plans to follow up with radon surveys, ground geophysics and detailed prospecting.

Fission, Alpha unveil $6.95-million Patterson Lake South plan

With barges and drills onsite and permits in hand, the Alpha/Fission joint venture released details about their imminent $6.95-million, 44-hole, 11,000-metre PLS program on July 2. The 50/50 partners plan 40 holes focusing on three zones along an 850-metre trend, while an additional four holes will test additional targets along strike. Equipment will include a reverse circulation drill for overburden, two diamond drills for bedrock and three barges to keep them afloat. Two of the three zones are underwater with lake depths of about four to six metres.

All holes will get a radiometric probe. Ground geophysics and environmental baseline studies will also take place.

So far over 90% of drill targets have found mineralization, the companies stated. The 31,000-hectare project’s three zones are separated by gaps of 300 metres and 360 metres that have yet to be drilled. All three zones remain open in all directions, the partners added.

Fission serves as project operator until April 2014, when it swaps roles with Alpha.

Japanese utilities to apply for nuclear reactor permits

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority will begin receiving applications on July 8 for reactor re-starts, Bloomberg reported. The news agency’s July 3 dispatch said 48 reactors, providing over a quarter of the country’s electricity, had been shut down following the 2011 earthquakes and Fukushima accident. Since then Japanese utilities have been “bleeding cash from importing extra oil and gas for backup generation.”

Speaking to ResourceClips.com on July 5, Dundee Capital Markets senior analyst David Talbot said he’s heard three agencies will be reviewing the applications in a process that might take as long as six months. “It’s not whether their reactors are coming back online because I think everybody realizes they are,” he said. “It’s how many reactors are going to come online and how quickly…. How many of these reactors get up and running by the end of the year is probably one of the biggest questions. Once they start coming back online, I think that’s going to give a psychological push to the entire sector.” As a result the price of uranium, now below $40 a pound, could get the boost needed to spur mine development, Talbot explained.

Japan, Uzbekistan to co-operate on uranium exploration

Meanwhile, Japan expects to sign a uranium exploration agreement with Uzbekistan, the Kyodo news service reported on July 6. Two state-owned companies, the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp and Uzbekistan’s Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combinat, will meet July 8 to ink a five-year plan to assess uranium deposits in Uzbekistan. Japan depends completely on imported uranium.